The Hours of Aphrodite: Celebrations (Brilliant Gods, the Wisdom of Olympus)

BRILLIANT GODS, a five-volume cycle, begins with a non-fiction essay about Greek Polytheism, the ancient religion still valid today. Each of the other books tells a moral tale focusing on a single god or goddess. THE HOURS OF APHRODITE is the third of these fictions. Elena, a Berkeley undergraduate, enjoys classes in art history, literature, and choreography. She enjoys sex even more. When she can’t be with her lover, she finds good alternatives. When she can’t be making love at all, she still thinks about it. THE HOURS OF APHRODITE shows the events of her typical day as acts of worship, organized into a kind of prayer book. The text of a traditional book of hours was often accompanied by small paintings. Here each episode is paired with music. You are encouraged to read the story, hear the music, and decide whether Elena’s life of worship might be a suitable model for your own devotions.